WHAT’S PRIMAL?

Primal is about being healthy and happy. By living the way we’re designed to live.

QUICK BACKGROUND:

Humans have been pretty much the same genetically for about 70,000 generations. The agricultural revolution took place less than 350 generations ago. The industrial revolution is only 8 generations old, the twinkie 3.

Evolution is a fairly slow process and so our bodies are genetically still very much like our distant ancestors. We are literally designed to eat and sleep and move like cavemen and cavewomen. We are not designed to eat sugar and grains. We’re not supposed to spend all day sitting in chairs and staring at glowing rectangles.

Simply put, humans should eat human food. Just like zebras should eat zebra food and snakes should eat snake food. And we should move around, spend time outside in the sun, and be a part of a team. The best lifestyle for us, then, is one that replicates the diet of our Paleolithic ancestors, and involves moving, getting some sun, and socializing with family and friends.

FIVE PILLARS

Play outside in the sun

Eat healthy

Sleep well

Socialize

Read & Review

What’s the difference between between primal and paleo? You’ve probably heard both of these terms, and maybe are wondering, what’s the difference? Well, they’re basically the same. We chose to go with primal for this challenge because it’s a bit less restrictive than paleo, that’s all. Both are excellent, and the suggested links and experts on this site will fall into both camps.

That said, here’s Mark Sisson’s explanation on the difference. For the record, our two favorite experts are probably Robb Wolf and John Durant, who both describe themselves as paleo. We highly recommend bookmarking their sites, and listening in on Robb’s outstanding podcast.

In a nutshell: Spend time playing outside in the sun, ideally with other people; eat healthy; get lots of high-quality sleep; move around and get your blood flowing; socialize; learn a little bit about health every day and sit down & quickly review your progress on occasion.